The British Fungi Records Database

The British Fungi Records Database
(a.k.a. BMSFRD) currently contains over 700,000 records of fungi from
forays of the British Mycological
Society, Association of British Fungus
Groups, various surveys (e.g. SNH waxcap grassland survey), forays
of the many local recording groups, individuals and published records
of British fungi from the Transactions of the British Mycological Society,
the Bulletin, and their successors Mycological
Research, Mycologist,
Field Mycology and
other publications (data collection sponsored by JNCC;
see Cannon, Mycologist12(1): 25, 1998).

Search the British Fungi Checklist or the Fungal Records
Database of Britain and Ireland

At the moment it is not possible to place the entire British
Fungi Records Database on the web due to issues relating to ownership
of data. However, summary data are now included.

Distribution Maps

The list contains links to over 2000
distribution maps of various species. Most macromycetes described in popular
field-guides should be included; lichens have not been included. Specifically
a number of 'wax cap' species are included. These are indicators of a
rapidly declining habitat and they are specifically being surveyed by
members of the BMS (Rotherhoe, Newton, Evans & Feehan, Mycologist10(1): 23, 1996). The list also includes a number of species mentioned
in UK Biodiversity Action Plans (Watling, Mycologist13(4):
158, 1999) and some species listed in a recent article on Caledonian pine
forest indicators (Tofts & Orton, Mycologist12(3):
98, 1998). There should also be a number of maps for species recorded
as part of the Fungus2000 challenge. Also included are maps for the majority
of myxomycete species included in Bruce Ing's recent excellent publication
The Myxomycetes of Britain and Ireland, Richmond Publishing Company,
1999, ISBN 085546 251 5. Also included most rust, powdery/downy mildews,
'Taphrinas' and Exobasidiales.

The maps show 10km squares for which
there are records in the British Fungi Records Database. The first map
shows the UK & Ireland Ordnance Survey Grid System. The next two maps
show numbers of species per 10km square. The first of these indicates
the level of recording and diversity for all 16,500 species recorded in
the British Fungi Records Database. The most recorded area (by a long
way) is Esher Common in Surrey which has been the subject of intensive
studying by a number of eminent mycologists for many years. The least
studied areas are Ireland and the Scottish borders. The second map shows
the same measure of diversity for the wax-cap species (Hygrocybe),
the interpretation of which is left to others.

If you can't find a specific map you may be using a name
that has recently changed. Check for the current name in the British
Isles Checklist together with any additional data for the species.

The maps are in Adobe
Acrobat (PDF) format and you will need the appropriate plug-in for
your browser. They were generated from the BMSFRD using Alan Morton's
DMAP program, printed to 150dpi postscript
files and converted into Acrobat format.

Email me, Jerry
Cooper, if you want to see a specific map included in the list. If
you have any fungal records to contribute to the British Fungi Records
Database please contact Paul Kirk,
who will be pleased to receive them. There is also a free fungus recording
package called MycoRec which can
export to and import records from the British Fungi Records Database.